You, who shouldn't exist
by Alpharage
Summary: In the world there are special humans, called Alpha, who have incredible powers! Meet AL-7, a female Alpha who is able to manifest her soul in weapon form! What will happen when she is sent to the Sunny Archipelago, to investigate the strange situation of its islands? There is really a powerful demon behind the Sunshine Islands' ruin?
1. SUMMARY

**| YOU, WHO SHOULDN'T EXIST | | | SUMMARY |**

* * *

There are rare, special humans in our world, called "Alpha". They shouldn't have existed, in the first place... but for some strange reason, they survived their deadly fate and, in exchange for this, received incredible powers! Some of them are able to move objects with the power of their mind, some others can control the elements of nature.  
For that reason, and for the tremendous power they hold, they're treated with fear or pity, and mostly despised, for the fact they shouldn't exist... even If just few are actually aware of their secret. Alphas hide themselves well in the human world, after all.

_The NOX_, an organization who recruits and trains all kind of Alphas, hides them and teach them to fight not only normal crime, but also threats that normal humans can't see, like demons and ghosts. Here, Alphas are deprived of their names and family, trained like soldiers, and treated like simple "weapons".  
Truth to be told, the NOX itself fears the Alphas it trains so, the humans who control it usually keep their soldiers under costant surveiliance and control. Alphas are allowed to go out only to accomplish missions and costantly wear a bracialet, which costrantly monitors them. If they even think to disobey the NOX, the bracialet will relase into their blood a powerful poison, killing them.  
So, the reality behind their existence is this: most Alphas survived death, just to obtain _slavery._

Meet AL-7, a female Alpha who is able to manifest her soul in weapon form! There isn't weapon or object she can't shape with her own soul, and she's pretty skilled in what she does.  
She's indeed very powerful, but thanks to her pretty laid-back personality, she isn't really feared so much from NOX's brains.  
AL-7 should've died right after she was born. Surviving her fate gave her the power she holds dear, and the Alpha status. She works for NOX, just like most of the ones of her own kind. Like most of Alphas, she is pretty slow when it comes to understand humans' feelings. She's a bit cold, and she only knows what NOX taught her: to obey and to follow orders.  
What will happen when AL-7 is sent to Sunshine Islands, under the name of "Chelsea", to look into the mystery of the sinked islands? There is really a powerful demon behind the islands' ruin? Will she be able to restore them, and save its inhabitants? And, thanks to them, will she start to understand what it means to be truly a human with the right to exist?

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Hello there! First of all, forgive me If you find any grammatical error: english's not my mother language, but I'm trying my best! Feel free to correct me when I make errors... your help will be surely appreciated and will let me improve!  
****So... this is my first attempt in writing an Harvest Moon fanfiction and, since I love to add fantasy stuff in everything I write, I really hope you'll enjoy the setting! **

**I'm pretty slow when I write, so I'm sorry to say, there won't be a chapter per day. Bear with me. x3**


	2. Sunrise

**| CHAPTER ONE - SUNRISE |**

* * *

She woke up suddenly, with a small gasp, shaking with fear on the bed she was sitting in, but she didn't even recall what she was dreaming about. How stupid.

**« Why I am scared... ? »**

She muttered to herself, while trying to catch her breath again. She shook her hear, rubbing her sleepy eyes with her hand. She was feeling really stupid, indeed. But she couldn't help it.  
She decided to get off the bed, even If it was still very early, and she wore her simple clothes: nothing really fancy, just a pair of blue jeans and a white shirt. Sighing softly, she looked for a long moment at the black bracialet on her right wrist. It seemed just like a piece of junk, but in reality, the thing was a hi-tech monitoring system. They were always watching her. _Always_.

She opened the windows, and looked outside: it still was dark, but her eyes were trained to see in the shadows of the night. The pale light of the moon made more visible the petite figure standing inside the house: a short girl, with deep, blue eyes, pale skin, and long, brown hairs. She seemed just like your average young woman.  
She closed her eyes, _remembering_.

It was very sudden.  
Just some days ago, she was at one of the NOX headquarters, scattered and well-hidden all around the world. She was training, like usual, because there wasn't much else to do in a place like that. Yeah... NOX nothing was but a sort of training base, in which many others _Alphas_ -humans with special powers- like her, were raised like soldiers.  
Then, one of the NOX chiefs, suddenly requested her to travel to a far away place, an archipelago in the middle of nowhere. It was a strange request, but from the tone he told her to go there, she understood it was a pretty important "mission".  
He had told her the story of the Sunny Archipelago: once flourishing and full of buildings and people, now was nothing more than a ghost town which was trying to return to the ancient splendor. One year after the blossoming of its happiness, strange, suspicious earthquakes started to strike down the islands which surrounded the archipelago, making them sink into the bottom of the ocean. And then, people started to flee away... just few decided to stay, refusing to abandon their home; those fools were trying to return their loved islands like they used the be... but they were unaware of the danger they were in...

**_« We believe the situation of the archipelago is all due to a powerful demon. Of course, we can't allow such a dangerous threat to cause even more trouble. » _**the chief had said to her**_ « So, AL-7, we want you to put an end to its existence. A boat will be shortly ready to take you to the Sunny Archipelago. »_**

Yeah, that was her name, wasn't it? _AL-7_. Every Alpha had a _code name_... If they even had normal human names before, they forgot them. After all, for NOX they were just soldiers.

It seemed simple, at the begin. AL-7 just tought she had to go there, kill a demon, and then return to her training. But it wasn't so simple, the chief said. The demon was quite well-hidden, and even the NOX's most powerful technologies weren't able to locate it. For that reason, that mission wouldn't be a quick one.

_**« We thought about the situation. On one of the survived islands, there is a farm and, it seems, its previous owner fled awaw two months ago... so, the island needs a new one.**_  
_**We'll send you there, under the name of "Chelsea". You must not uncover your cover-up... the inhabitants have to think of you as one of them, so don't act reckless, and try to be friendly to them, got it? While disguising yourself as a young farmer, you'll have a lot of time and opportunities to try to locate the demon responsible for the archipelago's ruin. »**_

... It was the first time she was sent far away from the headquarters, and for such a long period of time. Usually, NOX would avoid a situation like that.  
But AL-7 was pretty trusted in the organization, maybe because she seemed so used to it, so resigned to her fate, that she didn't mind at all following orders without even asking why.  
And there she was: she arrived to the archipelago just a day ago, and she avoided any type of interaction with the inhabitants for the moment. Today, at 8:00AM, she'd have to meet "Taro", the person who was taking care of the remaining islands, the one who tried to find a new owner for the abandoned farm she was currently using as her new home.  
But it was still early, and she had no intention of returning to sleep. She was used to sleep for just few hours, anyways, so she kept herself entertained by making her bed and cleaning the rooms of her "home" for a bit.  
_Chelsea_. She had, now, a perfectly normal name. If felt weird.  
A sudden flash of light distracted her from her own thoughts: it was the sun rising, outside. It was a truly beautiful sight, and AL-7 watched it with a bit of curiosity. Of course, it was not the first time she saw something like that, but she hasn't watched the sky for a long time, so every time felt different. It was weird, indeed.  
She averted her gaze from the window when her eyes noticed something red, on the little cabinet near the bed: there was a blank book, something which looked like a diary, and on top of it, a red bandana. Was it property of the previous owner of the farm, AL-7 asked to herself.  
Oh well, it didn't really mattered.  
She took the bandana, wearing it on her head, using it to prevent her hair to go into her eyes. She was the new owner, after all.

_" I'll do it. I never failed a mission, and I won't fail this one as well. I'll kill that demon. I can do it. I'm not used to this kind of life, but I can surely do it anyways. There is nothing to be afraid of. "_

She told to herself.  
But she couldn't shake off the creepy feeling she woke up with. A feeling of uneasiness, and _danger._

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Uh, so this is the first chapter. Again, feel free to correct me If you find any error!  
Hope the story doesn't seem too weird. xD**


	3. Getting used

**| CHAPTER 2 - GETTING USED |**

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The knocking at the front door caught her off guard, just as she was trying to reach a spider web on the ceiling with an improvised soul-made stick. She almost fell down... it was so unlikely, but AL-7, one of the most capable Alphas of NOX, was probably also the most clumsy creature in the universe, when it came to houseworks.  
She sighed softly, letting the soul weapon to disappear, and going to open the door: Taro, the old man who was taking care of the survived islands of the achipelago, grinned at her enthusiastically. He was shorter than her and his face was wrinkly, but he had the same eyes of a curious, energetic child.

**« So, we finally meet! You must be Chelsea! My, my, you're really young, aren't you? »**

He looked at her, then nodded.

**« Oh, sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Taro and, for now, I'm taking care of those islands, since we really don't have a mayor. I was looking forward to meet you... I mean, it's so rare to find good farmers these days! The last one barely lasted a month! »**

He surely talked a lot. "Chelsea" wasn't really used to talking with people. But the chief told her to "be friendly", so she forced a little smile, and nodded, understanding.

**« It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister. My name is A... uhm, Chelsea. Don't worry, I plan to stay for a long time. I won't give up like the old farmer. »**

She told him, trying to sound reassuring, even If she was telling him an half lie. She was planning to stay, sure... she didn't know the meaning of "to give up" after all... but as soon her mission was completed, she would leave the archipelago without letting anyone know. It was an Alpha's duty to carry out a mission wthout leaving too many traces of their doing.  
Anyways, Taro smiled again at her. He seemed reassured.

**« That's great! By the way, I've come to tell you the basic of a farmer's work, If you'd like. Do you need any kind of help? »**

She simply shook her head.

**« I come from the city, but my parents were both farmers, so I alredy know how it works. I alredy took with me all their tools, too. »**

Another lie. She really didn't had a family, since the NOX took her in when she was a little kid. If she had family, she didn't remember... but anyways, not many Alphas had or remembered about their families. And, of course, she didn't know what "farming" was until some days ago: in two days, she managed to finish reading a lot of books about it. She didn't had tools either but hey, she was able to shape her soul in almost anything... she wouldn't have any problems in creating some farming tools as well.

**« Ohhh nice, so you have some experience after all. That's good, indeed!**  
**Oh, right... »**

Taro paused, as he remembered something really important, then smiled again.

**« I'd like, at least, to give you a tour of the islands. I want you to meet some of its inhabitants. They want to meet you as well. »**

**« Oh... r-really...? O-Okay, I suppose... »**

She stuttered a bit. She was caught a bit off-guard by that... she wasn't really used to socialize with people... now, she was starting to feel a bit nervous. Taro seemed to notice it, too.

**« Ahahah no need to be shy, now! They're all good people, don't worry! Now, let's go! Are you ready? »**

**« Okay... sure. »**

She told him, trying to appear calmer.  
He followed Taro, listening him talking about the good old days in which he was a young farmer full of energy. She kind of listened him just with one ear, as she was trying to notice If there was anything weird on the islands... but she didn't feel anything strange or dangerous. If the mysterious culprit of the earthquakes was nearby, it was hiding its presence well.

Anyways, Taro kept his promise, and introduced many of the islands' inhabitants to her, first of all his own family: his daughter Felicia, and her two kids, Natalie and Elliot. Then it was the turn of a very big man, with a somewhat wild appearance, named Gannon, a carpenter who told her to pass by if she needed to build anything. Taro introduced to her also Mirabelle -the owner of the animal shop- and her daughter Julia.  
Chelsea managed, somehow, to stay calm and greet everyone, even If sometimes she stuttered her words. They seemed to notice that there was something unusual in her behaviour, but they probably just thought she was just a little shy, or something like that.

**« Okay, now I'll introduce you to Chen, a merchant. The you'll be free to start working on your farm. Don't tell me you're tired alredy! We're almost there! »**

Taro stopped in front of a shop, with an oriental touch to it. He knocked at the door, then entered, followed by the poor Alpha, who was probably feeling a bit confused, for having around all those people.

Chen and his son, Charlie, greeted her politely.

**« We're really happy to finally have a new farmer, mostly because you mean buisiness for us. We have a great variety of seeds for every season, but for now... »**

Chen took a bag of turnip seeds from the counter, and placed it in Chelsea's hands.

**« Have those for free. They should help you to start on the farm! »**

**« Wow, thank you very much, you're really kind. »**

Chelsea smiled softly, a genuine smile this time. She wasn't really used to people's kindness, but it wasn't really a bad thing. Taro nodded approvingly, and patted her back.

**« Very well, then! You've met most of people... you can meet the others later, I suppose. For now, let's head back to your farm, shall we? »**

He waved goodbay to Chen and Charlie, and Chelsea followed him out. The walked to the farm's entrance, and then he stopped.

**« Well, here we are. Now I must return home. But first, what about giving a name to your farm? »**

She thought about it for a bit. She wasn't used to that as well. Probably, when she'd need to buy some animals, she'd go in crisis because she was so bad at giving names...

**« Uhm... Anima? »**

**« Well, I don't know what it means, but it sounds nice. So Anima Farm it is! I'll look forward to your hard work, Chelsea. »**

Taro nodded, and left Chelsea to her own thoughts.

_" Anima... I told that word on impulse, but it seems very familiar. Uhm... "_

She shook her head. It wasn't the time to think about that. It was better If she started to clean off the ground of her farm, so she could sow some of the seeds Chen had given to her before, and she was just starting to get the work done, when she heard a _noise_, coming from her own home. She froze, but remained calm.  
She looked around: the farm was deserted, she was alone. So...  
Her lips curled in a small grin, while something similar to a sickle materialized in her own hands: the weeapon was shining a little, and seemed very sturdy. That was her power: as long her will and soul were strong, she'd be able to create very strong weapons.  
Chelsea approached slowly the door of her home, noticing it was slighty open; she peeked in carefully, noticing a small _shadow_ moving. She felt something... a strange sensation, like electricity flowing in her own veins... her senses were _warning_ her.

Yes... there was something in her house. And whatever it was, _it wasn't a human_.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Whew, I hope this chapter wasn't too boring to read! I promise the next one will be more exciting!  
Again, feel free to correct me If you find any errors. c:**

**Also... who or what is lurking in AL-7's home?  
You'll discover it in the next chapter...**

**. . . . . . . . .**

**Many thanks to everybody who is following and reviewing this story!  
Special thanks to Christie Ralte for the correction &amp; review! ^v^**


	4. An endless sleep

**| CHAPTER THREE - ENDLESS SLEEP |**

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_Chelsea approached slowly the door of her home, noticing it was slighty open; she peeked in carefully, noticing a small shadow moving. She felt something... a strange sensation, like electricity flowing in her own veins... her senses were warning her._

_Yes... there was something in her house. And whatever it was, it wasn't a human_.

* * *

She peeked in, cautiously. Every of her senses were wide awake, her body ready to move, her mind calm. In this kind of situation, her soldier's training resurfaced. She was ready to exterminate whatever threat was in her home.

When the shadow moved, approaching the door, she was ready.  
Without even making a small sound, the Alpha dashed forward, her eyes wide oped, the pupil narrowed, like a cat's one. Her hand grabbed something small and soft, and in less than a second, her weapon -a sickle- was dangerously pointed at the intruder's face. A... very small face, she realized the istant after, blinking surprised: in front of her, shaking with pure terror, was a little, strange creature, similar to an human, but incredibly tiny, with pointed ears, big eyes, and strange red clothes on him.  
Chelsea didn't let his cute appearence to decieve her, though, and she didn't let go of him. He could've been a dangerous demon, even If he was so tiny... appearence is a deceiver, after all.  
But the little one didn't move a inch: he was shaking, and big tears were appearing on his eyes. His small mouth was open, and his eyes were full of fear.

**« P-Please, don't hurt me! I'm not a t-thief, and I didn't mean to scare you, really! I w-was just trying to surprise you... p-please... »**

Chelsea stared at the tiny creature, still remaining vigilant. She turned away her weapon from his face, making it disappear, but she didn't let go of him.

**« Okay, I won't hurt you. If you tell me... what are you. Are you a demon? »**

She asked, with a cold tone in her voice, but the little one just shaked frenetically his head, trembling.

**« No, I am not! I am an Harvest Sprite, and my name is Coral! Do I look really l-like a demon to you? Please... let me go... _can't breath_... »**

She let him go, just to grab him again, this time from his clothes, picking him up and looking at him like a cat would look at a really little, scared mouse.

**« Harvest Sprite, you say? Are you some kind of lower demon? I never saw something like you before. Mhn, I wonder... »**

Coral was, indeed, scared of her. But her words seemed to make him also angry, because he started to struggle against her firm grip, screaming.

**« Shut up, shut up, shut up! Don't call me a demon! I hate demons! Demons made these islands sink and they just ruined eveything! You gotta believe me! You have to help me... ! You are a supernatural being yourself, right? But you're not a demon, I can tell... »**

Chelsea's eyes widened in surprise, and the young Alpha let the harvest sprite go, carefully placing him on the kitchen's table. Then, she sat on the chair, staring at him.

**« Calm down, little one. Did you say that demons ruined this place, right? My name is Chelsea... I am here to exterminate the demon that made those island sink. Do you know where I can find it? »**

Coral quickly wiped away his tears, adjusting his funny, red hat on his head, and stared at Chelsea with hopeful eyes.

**« R-Really?! You're really here to help us? That's... perfect! I am all alone, and I don't know what to do, and... ! »**

**« I said, calm down. »**

Chelsea patted gently his head. He seemed pretty powerless, now that she looked at him better; his eyes were still all red and puffy, and he seemed so agitated... he was kind of cute, too.

**« First things first. Do you know where the demon is? »**

To her disappointment, he shook his head.

**« I am sorry, I don't really know... but I can tell you what happened when it suddenly appeared. Maybe you can figure something out to help us! »**

**« I guess finding it so soon would have been too easy, huh? Well, can you tell me what happened, then? »**

Coral simply nodded, before starting to tell her his story.

**« It started one year ago... the islands were peaceful, and blooming with happiness. Then, that... _that thing_, appeared, like a shadow. I didn't see it clearly... » **he paused for a moment, before continuing** « It was horrible. Earthquakes started to strike down the archipelago, and the earth shaked so strongly, that many buildings and houses collapsed. The Harvest Goddess and us, the harvest sprites, tried to stop it with our magic, but... we failed. »**

Chelsea interrupted him with a single gesture of her hand, scratching her head.

**« Wait a moment. _Harvest Goddess_... ? What's that? »**

**« You don't know? The Harvest Goddess is a deity of the nature, and a guardian of those islands. She... she fought with all her strenght, and we tried to help her as much as we could... but the Harvest Goddess is a deity who creates, she isn't able to destroy or hurt... and the demon... it was too strong for us... »**

**« What happened to her, and to the rest of you? »**

**« ... About three months ago, the demon managed to sink the Mystic Island... it's the island in which the Harvest Goddess lived. Before it sinked, the Goddess fell asleep, and no matter what we did, she wouldn't wake up... soon after, all my friends started to fall asleep too... I never saw them again... they were all stuck in their endless sleep, when the island sinked... »**

**« So they were... on the sinked island? Then... did they... _die_? »**

She asked carefully. She didn't mean to break Coral's hopes, but... well, how are supposed to be still alive, If they were stuck for months at the bottom of the ocean? Or had they gills... ?

**« How stupid! The Harvest Goddess is... well, a goddess! She's immortal, she can't die... and I'm sure with her remaining magic, she protected the harvest sprites, sending them somewhere else! We just have to find them! I'm sure with your help, we could do something for the Harvest Goddess... she was the only one to know where the demon is! »**

Chelsea started to massage her temples with her fingers. The situation now seemed more complicated than before and, even If she knew deities existed, just like demons, she still wasn't sure If she could trust that little sprite's words. But then, what was to lose, at this point?

**« So, how we do it? »**

**« Huh? »**

Coral raised his face, watchig her with a perplexed look.

**« How do we find your friends, anyways? And how we're supposed to save this Harvest Goddess, If she's on a sinked island? »**

Silence followed her question and, by the look Coral gave her, she understood he didn't know either. The little sprite clenched his teeth, and stared down. Chelsea sighed, and patted his head.

**« Well, don't worry, We'll figure it out sooner or later. For now, I still have those seeds to sow. You can stay here, If you want... until we find your friends. »**

The little guy seemed to lighter up, because he smiled and nodded, grabbing her clother, and climbing up to reach her shoulder.

**« Thank you very much, Chelsea! I'll tag around, so you can tell me something about yourself? Honestly, I never saw someone like you... you emanate a very strange kind of power... I immediately felt you weren't a simple human! »**

**« Ugh, I don't really feel like talking about me. I'll help you to find your friends, because that's the only way I have to know where my target is, but that's all. »**

Coral didn't seem disapponed, because he patted her back, determined to not let her go, while she was walking outside, the bag of seeds in one hand, and a newly materialized hoe in the other.

«** Aww come on, we have the same goal, so let's get along and be good friends! I want to know how in the world are you able to materialize those tools, too... !»**

Chelsea sighed. She now had the impression her mission would turn to be more difficult an annoying than she had planned...

* * *

**AUTHOUR'S NOTE**

**Dum dum dum...!**  
**So, sorry, It wasn't a demon, but just Coral. We now know what happened to the Harvest Goddess and to the other Harvest Sprites of the archipelago. And now, to find the demon, Chelsea have to save the Harvest Goddess first!**  
**I know the first chapters aren't really so good, because we have to explain so many things, and because I'm too lazy to write longer chapters. But I assure you, the good part will come soon! Chelsea will soon have to deal with a lot of strange things... **

**Again, a big thank you to the ones who are reading, following or reviewing this story!**


	5. Try to be friendly!

**| CHAPTER FOUR - TRY TO BE FRIENDLY!** |

* * *

**« Grrr... stop pestering me! »**

**« You know, Chelsea? When you snarl like that, you are just like a wild wolf! »**

**« Then stop pulling my bandana off and screaming into my ears! You're annoying. I promised to help you, but I never thought I'd have to babysit you! I have no patience with kids! »**

Coral stopped to pull Chelsea's bandana, and crossed his arms, pouting. He was sitting on her shoulder, like usual. He liked that spot a lot: whenever she was working, sowing seeds, gathering materials or just walking by herself, he'd sit there, trying to make some kind of conversation with her.

**« I told you, I am not a kid! I'm older than you, you know! »**

**« Your brain never aged, apparently. »**

**« Hey! Don't say it like that! It's not me who is childlish... it's you who is antisocial! »**

**« So what? Hey... stop sticking your tongue out, it's unpolite. »**

**« Aww, come on, Chelsea! You spent a whole week working! I never saw a human being able to sow so many seeds, or to gather so many wood pieces in such a small amount of time... the inhabitants will start to be scared of you and of your inhuman strenght! »**

**« Ugh... isn't my hard work supposed to please them? »**

**« Well, maybe... but you should try to be more friendly to them, you know! In one week, you went to the town just to buy seeds, and you somewhat managed to gather and ship items without even being noticed! Do you perhaps have antisocial superpowers or what? »**

Chelsea stopped doing what she was working on -stomping her soul-made axe onto wild pieces of wood- and stared at the harvest sprite with a glare that would scare anyone.  
She let him in her house, since she felt sorry for him: Coral was all alone and scared, when she found him some days ago (even If it was more correct to say he found her), and now that he found a "friend" -how he was stubbornly calling her all the time-, he seemed to be more cheerful and talkative than ever. He'd pester her day and night, trying to force her to go to the town, so she could talk and socialize with its inhabitants, while she just wanted to be left alone, and to complete her mission as soon as possible.

**« I don't see what kind of benefit I'd have, from socialzing with people. »**

**« Maybe they can give us a clue or two... they lived here for a long time, after all. »**

**« So you did. I bet you lived in this archipelago way longer than them... but you don't seem to have any clue for me, huh? »**

**« That's because I lived on a different island! It's not like I lived with the humans. They can't even see us harvest sprites... »**

**« Well, that's not the...- Huh? Wait a second... they can't see you? »**

Coral smirked. It was strange to see a little cute thing like him, with that somewhat devilish smirk on his face.

**« Well, yeah! They can't see harvest sprites, nor our Goddess. Humans who are able to see us are very, very rare... they usually have a strong link with the places we protect, or they have supernatural abilities, sometimes, just like yourself. »**

**« I see... »**

For some minutes, there was an heavy silence in the air. Usually, it was normal for them to argue. Their discussions were always nothing too serious... Coral just liked to tease her, trying to get her out of her shell. She didn't want to get close to others, instead. She didn't want to explain why... she'd just tell him she _didn't felt like it_.

«** Chelsea, listen... you can't avoid people forever, you know... and hey, in one week, you gathered an impressive amount of wood! What about going to the town, at least to see if the carpenter can build a chicken coop in your farm? »**

**« Eh... ? Why I need a chicken coop, now? »**

**« Anyone knows that farmers gain most profict from animals! And, until you find a way to save the Harvest Goddess, you'll need to live here. As a farmer. So... shall we go? Please... ? »**

She sighed heavily, and stumped her axe once more on the ground, smashing another piece of wood, before letting the tool to disappear. She nodded, defeated.

**« Fine, I'll take a shower and we'll go, okay? Now, move. »**

**« Hooray! »**

So, that Monday, Coral finally managed to force the antisocial farmer to go out. Not that she tried to be more "social" than she was... to his disappointment, she went straight to Gannon's house, requested and paid for the work, then returned home. And, no matter how much he'd complain and try to pull off her bandana, she'd just sighed tiredly and return to work. She was getting used to working on a farm... her powers made it pretty easy but still, it was a bit tiring. She was used to battle, and farming was a totally different kind of physical activity.

* * *

The next day, the knocking at the door caught her off-guard, while she was having breakfast. Not that a cup of coffee could be called breakfast, but she was used to that. She had to make something every morning for Coral, though... the little guy was tiny, but he had a black hole in his stomach, or something like that, because he ate like an horse.  
Rolling her eyes at the sight of Coral literally _assaulting_ a sandwich, she went to open the door, and she was very surprised to see Gannon, the carpenter, a rough but kind smile on his face, and a bag full of tools on his back.

**« Hey there, young lady! I wanted to let ya know that the chicken coop is now finished. I did a fine job, as you can see. »**

Chelsea blinked. Then she peeked behind her home: the chicken coop was there, new and shining. She faced Gannon, sincerely surprised.

**« You built it in just a day? I mean... w-wow... that was fast. »**

She told him sincerely, a little smile on her face.  
Gannon nodded, and he seemed pretty proud for the compliment.

**« Told ya, I'm the best when it comes to build things. Let me know If you need anything else, okay? Well... see ya! »**

**« Oh, sure things. And thanks. »**

She closed the door, and faced Coral, who had just finished to eat his sandwich.  
The little harvest sprite _grinned_. Chelsea didn't like that... his grinning was meaning just problems, for her. She hoped he wouldn't try to force her to be more social again, or...

**« Well, that was fast, wasn't it? Sooo... are we getting one? »**

**« Huh? Getting what? »**

Coral laughet happily, then snapped his fingers in front of her face.

**« Come on, wake up! _A chicken_! We must go and buy one! »**

**« Oh... »**

_Sudden realisation_. She had to go back in the town after all.  
She growled and raised her hands, cursing the demon which had to ruin the Sunny archipelago. If it wasn't for it, she would be doing a normal mission now. Sheesh!

* * *

She walked down the path nervously, with Coral half hidden in one of her rucksack's pockets, for the joy of her poor bandana, that the harvest sprite would try to pull off suddenly.

**« Stop walking like you ate a broomstick! Try to act normal! »**

**« ... Said the mistical being that no one can see. Sheesh. »**

She complained, keeping her voice low. It was still morning, and the streets of the town were... full of people. They'd turn towards her, a smile on their face. They'd greet her happily, asking her how she was, and how the farm was doing. She wasn't used to chit-chat, so it was a bit awkward... but the people were patient and kind to her.  
She knocked at the door of Mirabelle's store. Nobody replied, or invited her in, but she heard a thud from inside, so probably someone was there, right?

**« Uhm... sorry to bother. I'm coming in. »**

She told aloud, before opening the door, and entering the place: but the room was empty, and no one was around. Strange, because usually the shop was open, at that hour of the day.  
Then, she saw it. A black shadow. And someone come from the back of the shop: a man, dressed... well, like a cowboy, with a cowboy hat, and cowboy boots and... well, he was wearing cowboy clother, alright...  
He had silver hair checking out from under his hat. He stared at her with his amethyst eyes, a glare which was cold as snow, and which usually would scare anyone. Chelsea just blinked. Not because she was scared, but because she never saw him on the islands before. Not that she was usually around the town folks so much...

**« Who are you? »**

She asked, whithout thinking. She regretted opening her mouth when the man frowned, like she just made a really stupid question.

**« I could ask you the same thing. »**

**« Wow, rude dude! »**

Coral murmured, peeking from behind her. Chelsea tilted her head to a side, ignoring the harvest sprite -which, of course, the man wasn't able to see or hear at all- and approached the counter, staring at the man with a bit of curiosity.

**« I'm the new farmer, Chelsea. Are you an acquaintance of Mirabelle, perhaps? »**

**« ... Something like that. I am an animal dealer, and I am on the islands on Mondays and Tuesdays, so I in those days I usually work with Mirabelle.****So, are you here to see her? If that's so, you can leave. She went off somewhere, and I think it'll take a while. »**

**« The rudeness continue... ! He's scary, though...**  
**Chelsea, materialize an hammer and smash it on his head for me! Blah! »**

Coral sticked his tongue off towards the silver haired man.

_" What happened to the "try to be friendy!" thing, now... ? "_

Chelsea thought, trying to stop herself from laughing. That wouldn't be a good idea, considering the situation...

**« Uhm, I'm actually here to buy a chicken. »**

**« It's that so? Then, I suppose I can help. Follow me, but try to be fast. I have things to do, you know. »**

**« Okay, thanks you... didn't catch your name. »**

**« That's because I didn't say it. It's Vaughn. »**

He said, and the tone he used clearly told her _"I don't want to make conversation"_. So Chelsea just followed him to the back, trying to not clumsily fall down, as the room was a bit messy.  
It was kind of refreshing, being able to enjoy someone's company without needing to talk too much. Of course, probably Vaughn thought she was silent just because she was scared of him, or anything like that. That thought was amusing, at least for her.

_" If you saw me materialize a bastard sword, you'd be the scared one, heh. "_

**« Here we are. So, just pick one. »**

He suddenly told her, moving away, so she could see the various chickens scratching abount in the room. They were all white and fluffy... Chelsea thought they were just cute. She had always liked animals after all... they were easy to deal with, unlike people, and they were often more human and understanding than most people. It was a shame NOX didn't allow to have pets, or she would've probably took a few animal companions. She kneeled down, smiling soflty when some of the chickens approached her, scampering curiously around her. She patted one or two.

**« They seems to like you. And you seems to like them as well. It's surprising... it comes out you're not totally heartless, after all! »**

Coral said, pulling gently her brown hair. Of course, she ignored him, and picked in her arms a little chicken, with a strange but cute black mark on a wing.

_" So cute... "_

**« I'll take this one. Oh, and some bird feed too. »**

She just said, and Vaughn nodded approvingly, leading her to the main room again. She waited behind the counter, while he was picking up a big bag of chiken feed, placing it on the counter. He remained silent, just telling her how much it was, and she didn't try to get to know him better, just paying. But when she turned to leave, he coughed.

**« Hey, wait. You need to name her. They like it, when you give them a name. »**

Chelsea stared at the little chicken, petting her head.

**« Is having a name really so important... ? »**

**« What? I didn't hear. You should speak louder, you know... »**

**« _Vega_. I'll call her Vega. »**

The name popped up in her mind with no reason. How weird. Oh well...

**« It was nice to know you. People who like animals are usually nice ones. »**

She told him, with a little smile. Then, simply, she left, leaving him to his thoughts. She barely knew him... how the heck she'd figure out he liked animals? What a quiet, weird girl... but the way she was smiling at the animals, it was kind of cute. She probably liked animals too.

While she was walking home again, Coral snorted disapprovingly.

**« He was so rude and scary! Sigh, what part of him did exactly looked _nice_ to you? »**

**« Call it female intuition. Anyways, we have this little one, now, we might as well place her into her new home and feed her. »**

* * *

That night, after feeding Vega and after she was done with her work, she climbed on her bed, tired. Coral was alredy sleeping on the couch, and her home was filled with a strange, heavy silence. Something felt off, but she was too tired to notice. She fell asleep almost immediatly.  
And she dreamt. _Shadows_... were all around her. Faces she didn't recognized were praying, screaming, _begging_ her to wake up... but their faces all faded away, and she found herself lying in total darkness. She felt fear growing in her body, as she felt a strong presence surrounding her.

_You're... mine. I'll have... your loyalty._

She opened her mouth, but no sound came off. The voice she heard was barely perceptible, but it was... weird... so weird, it scared her. And she wasn't usually a fraidy cat...

_You'll soon meet me. I was waiting for you..._  
_I was waiting for you..._

* * *

She woke up all sweaty, gasping and trying to catch her breath. But she didn't remember what she was dreaming of. Just like it happened before, her first day on the island. She shook her head, and got off the bed.

_" I'm just stressed. It's hard to be friendly with people. I'm just not used to it. Well, off we go. "_

She made her bed, got under the shower and, when she was finally done with that, she sat on the couch, and shook Coral with bad grace.

**« Wake up, shrimp... you can't sleep all the day. »**

**« ... Sssso hungry... »**

**« Sheesh, you think only to eat... there are some fruits on the table, eat that! »**

The harvest sprite rubbed his eyes, and yawned.

**« Mmmh I want to eat Apple Pie... »**

**« No way. I don't even know how to cook properly... it's a miracle I managed to learn something, barely enough to survive. I suppose the best thing at NOX's headquarters was that we were well fed and we didn't have to cook for ourselves. »**

She went to pick her backpack, materialized a watering can and opened the door, giving Coral a glare.

**« Well, I have things to do, I'll be outside. Don't make a mess in the house. »**

She closed the door behind her, and started waterng her crops. She stared at her soul-made watering can, and couldn't help but sigh, a defeated look on her face.

_" If the other Alphas could see that, a S-ranked soldier, using her powers to materialize a watering can instead of a bazooka or a sword, they'd all laugh their butts off. Oh well, at least life's peafecul here. "_

**« CHEEEEEEEELSEAAAAAAH! »**

_" ... Forget it. "_

Taro was running towards her with all his strenght. He stopped in front of her, almost falling down, coughing to catch his breath. She patted gently his back, a bit worried. Why on the world he had to run all the way from his home?

**« Chelsea... _huff huff_! You need to come with me to the town, now... _huff huff!_ »**

**« First, breathe. Then, can you explain to me what happened? Why are you in such an hurry? »**

The old man breathed in and out a few times.

**« Phew, now I feel better. Anyways... the people of the town are all kind of scared... there was a strange noise coming from Meadow Island this morning so... »**

**« A strange noise? Did anyone check it out? »**

Chelsea seemed serious. She tried to act surprised, but she was waiting for something "weird" to happen. It could be sign of the demon's presence, or gods know what else. She had to check it out herself...

**« No... they're all scared. They fear it might be the signal of another earthquake... »**

Taro told her, and it reassured her. If nobody went to Meadow Island, then If the noise was coming from a threat, nobody was yet in danger. She nodded.

**« I'll check it out right now. Taro, I want you to tell everybody to stay safe in their homes. »**

**« What? Are you sure? I mean, it could be dangerous, and... »**

**« Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Just... trust me and do what I asked you to do, okay? That noise... it might be also a stupid thing, after all. And I'll be back soon. »**

Taro stared at her, serious. Then nodded.

**« Alright, I'll let the people know. But Chelsea, be careful! »**

**« I will. »**

Taro went off, and the Alpha let the watering can she held in her hand to disappear. It was time to check it out Meadow Island...

**« Going anywhere without me? »**

Coral was standing just next to her. How in the world did he managed to open the door of the house, tiny and weak as he was? Oh well, he was an harvest sprite after all... he was probably able to use some magic tricks.

**« It might be the demon. If that's the case, it might be dangerous. »**

**« I don't care. I'll come with you! »**

**« Okay then. Let's just hurry and go. »**

She picked Coral up, and he hid in her backpack, as she dashed in the main street.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Another kind of boring chapter. Sorreeeh. :c  
But hey, finally it starting to get interesting... I think... ? xD**

**Again, many thanks to everyone who is reading the story!**


	6. Orbs of power

**| CHAPTER 5 - ORBS OF POWER |**

* * *

She stopped right in front of the small boat, noticing that Kirk wasn't here, as usual. It seemed everyone was too scared to even think to be near Meadow Island, and Chelsea couldn't blame them... the inhabitants surely felt powerless against an invisible, highly dangerous threat... but she had special powers, and those powers of her gave her a lot of responsabilities.  
With Coral safely hidden inside her backpack, she jumped on the small boat, rowing it to Meadow Island and approached the pure white shrine on it with a bit of diffidence. She felt... _something_ rather odd on the small island, but oddly enough, she didn't sense a feeling of danger. She looked around, trying to figure out what was happening, but nothing was in sight: the island was quiet and silent as usual.  
Coral peeked from his safe hiding place, grabbing her shoulder and frowning.

**« It's strange... I feel something... _familiar_, around here... »**

He whispered as quietly as he could, into Chelsea's ear, but the Alpha was too busy trying to figure out where the strange sounds the inhabitants heard could've been from to pay attention to the little, red sprite. Then, she heard something... like a swish of wind, and she shivered a little, even If she wasn't really scared.

**« ...ral. »**

Both winced nervously, looking around, without seeing anything. The little sprite grabbed Chelsea's bandana, squinting and gasping.

**« I'm sure I just heard something... I didn't imagine it, right? »**

**« No... I heard it too. »**

They stood there, silent, the sprite trembling and looking around frantically and the farmer ready to act to any dangerous situation they'd be in soon. Her soul, which was manifesting itself as shining, white aura around her fingers, was ready to take a weapon's form any moment now.

**« Co... ral. »**

The red harvest sprite winced again, his face suddenly pale.

**« Someone... just called _my name_, I'm sure of it! Noo, I'm too young to die, I don't want to be taken down into the underworld yet! »**

He complained, shaking with fear.

**« Geez, stop it. You were the one who wanted to come here. Now shut up, will you? I'm trying to concentrate here! »**

**« CORAL! You didn't changed at all. You always were a fraidy cat and a crybaby! »**

**« H-Huh... ? »**

Both the Alpha and the little sprite on her shoulder jumped, surprised, when the voice from before scremead, coming from the ground behind them. Chelsea quickly turned around, her soul fussing all around her hands, but surely the little thing on the ground behind them wasn't really... a threat, because Coral, who the moment before was shaking with fear, now came down from Chelsea's shoulder, literally _assaulting_ the owner of the voice. Ad it was... another little sprite, very similar to Coral, but a bit taller, and with serious eyes.

**« _Big brother_! You're here! Where you were until now? I searched everywhere for you! »**

... Big brother?  
Chelsea stared absently at the two harvest sprites reunited for a little, before coughing, slightly annoyed.

**« So... I suppose you were the one making the weird noises that scared the inhabitants. You're... Coral's brother? »**

Only when she spoke, the other harvest sprite noticed her presence, and beamed, smiling at her reassuringly.

**« Yes, my name is Agete! And you can see us... I suppose you're here to help? »**

**« I'll explain everything later, big brother! Instead, can you tell me how the heck did you break free from the demon's sleep spell? If you know a way to break it, then Chelsea can maybe be able to save the Harvest Goddess! »**

Agete turned around, staring into Chelsea's blue eyes. There was a serious expression on the little sprite's face, now. Then, he nodded, and seemed reassured.

**« Yes... I can feel a great power inside her... I'm glad you found someone who can help us. »**

He made a little pause, before resuming to talk.

**« I slept for a very long time... but I could still feel what was happening around me, and the voice of the Harvest Goddess, asking for our help... she used her remaining power to help me to wake up, and she told me how to restore the islands and to how to break the demon's spell, but I'm not sure If us harvest sprited can do much, even with our magic... this young lady, on the other hand... »**

Chelsea sat on the ground, crossed legs and a serious espression on her face. The shining pieces of soul energy had disappeared from around her, as there wasn't really anything to fight. She seemed pretty curious about Agete's words.

**« There's a way to restore the islands? How we can do that? »**

**« Well, you know... when the Harvest Goddess became the guardian of the Sunny Archipelago, she created, with her power, some special "orbs" called _Sun Stones_, and placed them in this shrine to help the island prosper and be safe against natural disasters.**  
**When that horrible demon arrived here, he fought against the Harvest Goddess, and in the meanwhile, he found and scattered around all the Sun Stones. If we manage to find enough of them, we could surely be able to restore the sinked island in which the Goddess is stuck, Mystic Island! »**

Chelsea nodded. There was a way to save that Harvest Goddess... and according to Coral's words, she was the only one to know where the demon was hiding, so it was necessary to save her.

**« I see... that makes sense. But where are we supposed to find those Sun Stones? »**

Agete made a worried face, staring at her with a strange look.

**« That's the problem...! I'm sure some Sun Stones are still around the two survived island... we just need to search for them. But many other Sun Stones were destroyed by the demon, and the ones which are scattere around here aren't enough to raise Mystic Island... »**

**« Then we can't restore it? »**

Coral asked, worry and fear in his big eyes.  
Surprisingly, though, Agete shook his head.

**« I think the stones broke down, but their power is still around here. We just have to make it possible for that power to materialize itself in form of a Sun Stone again... and to that, we need to recreate the conditions of their creation. »**

**« ... ? »**

**« ... Well... the Harvest Gooddess took the power to create most of the Sun Stones from the links of the inhabitants... their strong link with the islands and their homes made it possible. At that time, there were more people around, and nobody was scared or worried about the earthquakes, so it won't be an easy task... »**

At those words, Coral suddenly jumped, and grabbed Chelsea's leg, pointing at her with a huge smile on his face.

**« It won't be a problem! You're saying that If the inhabitants will remember their strong bond with the islands and with each others, the Sun Stones will basically start to pop up by themselves, right?**  
**Then it's settled! Chelsea, you need to create a link, a bond between the inhabitants and... yourself! »**

**« ... What?! Explain me what I have to do with all this link and bonding stuff! »**

**« Chelsea... »**

Agete raised his head, staring at her in her eyes. That hopeful stare made hel feel nervous...

**« ... Coral is right. We can't be seen by normal humans, so there isn't anything we can really do about that. But you... If you work hard and improve the islands' conditions and the inhabitants' happiness, we might be able to find more Sun Stones! ... Please, Chelsea! »**

The Alpha simply put her hands in her hair, staring absently at the sky. She wasn't scared of fighting or risking her life... but how was supposed an antisocial creature like her to bond with others?

**« Sigh... I'm not really sure about this. I'm not good at socializing, and I'm not doing it because I honestly want to... will it work? »**

**« Don't worry, Chelsea! We'll help you! The more Sun Stones we will find, the more Harvest Sprites will wake up thanks to their power! And I'm sure all of us will be really helpful to you and to the farm! »**

**« I'm still not sure, Coral... »**

**« Don't worry. » **Agete smiled, a determined espression now showing up **« We can do it... and besides, there's no other way so... please... »**

**« Geez, I get it alredy! I'll try! Happy, now? »**

And while the sun was starting to descend and the two Harvest Sprites clinged to her, laughing and smiling, she though that yes, her mission was truly becoming more and more complicated every day...

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Yeah, I'm not dead yet! I'm just having a really busy period, so I'm really slow when writing...  
Anyways, short chapter which basically explain how Chelsea is supposed to help in restoring the sinked islands. Not really exciting but whatever.**

**Eh... I feel for her, by the way. I'm not really social myself, and I find difficult bonding with others.  
... How is supposed antisocial Chelsea to do what she's asked to do? We'll see in the next chapters! x°D**

**Again, thank you to everyone who is reading this story!**


End file.
